Work Text:
As the last alive, it falls to Omen to drag everyone’s sorry asses back across to their side.
He waits, making sure that their… counterparts have left the attack site. He unceremoniously collects the four bodies of his teammates into a pile and begins the process of going home.
Thankfully, it is quick. And thankfully, he has the strength to throw each body across to the otherside on his own. It’s unceremonious, but after such a failure he’s callous, annoyed.
That shows in his voice too, as he steps through the teleporter and into the Legion’s “Foyer”—the main teleporter room as named by Phoenix. “I dislike dragging back dead things like I’m a fucking cat.”
Sage’s face is hard as she stares at the massacre before her. “I will make sure they thank you for it later. I take it the mission was a failure then.”
“Colossal. Your double made sure of that.”
It may have been a low blow, but the doubles were always on Omen’s mind. The instinct is always there, a desire to face his other self because, well, because it felt like he would truly be the one person who would gain something from killing his alter. If the opportunity would present itself.
Sage had been frowning as soon as he had returned, but now further tension surges in her body. She pulls her shoulders back a little more. “Well, if she is me, why would she not strive for anything else other than success? You would not underestimate me. ”
There’s chastisement there. Omen accepts it. “Regardless, we must adjust.”
“Quite.” Her eyes switch off of him to their squadmates. She sighs. “It will take me a while to get them back to good health. I will debrief with them as I revive them and will come take your report later. Brimstone is out on his own business.”
“Very well.” Omen, in turn, sighs. The failed mission weighs on his mind and though it may have been a shock to those who did not know him, domesticity truly was where he found his peace. “Have you eaten enough for all of this? Shall I go make us dinner?” He says ‘us’ as if he could still eat.
It is not a smile, but a corner of Sage’s mouth upticks, just a little. “If you don’t mind. This lot will keep me working late tonight.”
“Hmm, let me get started then.”
He leaves Sage to the bodies. He has to think of them as bodies right now, not his teammates. He feels like it’s better to compartmentalize them that way until Sage manages to revive them. Raze, Skye, Killjoy, and Cypher are not dead. Their bodies are simply on the floor, waiting for Sage to bring them back.
He needs to hold onto that differentiation.
It is dark in the communal kitchen. With a flick of a switch, the lights hum to life and Omen sets out to cook. As he pulls ingredients out of the fridge, he tries to close it gently and fails, frustration guiding his actions and of course, they fucking need to buy groceries.
He may not get to enjoy the food he makes anymore, but usually the actions of cooking calm him down just as much as knitting or his bonsai.
As he sets out to make a simple soup and bannock, his mind settles in to think. He will not relax until he processes the thoughts looping around in his head. One could hope for a game changer and a game changer certainly is needed, but there were other more useless thoughts in his head too. Was the edge given to Alpha Earth because they had something left to defend? Should they of Omega be more fierce as the ones back into a corner, living on stolen time?
Those thoughts would lead him in circles if he kept them. As he finishes chopping potatoes and getting them into the pot, he switches to mixing up dough to fry. His train of thought switches too, thinking from how he hoped Sage would enjoy this, to just thinking about Sage… Not his Sage.
His Sage had said it herself: “If she is me, why would she not strive for anything else other than success?”
His Sage was right. And the other Sage had missed the headshot while he had no idea she was there.
Omen continues his busywork, hands sorting out pieces of dough and cutting them into squares. His mind is still wondering about that moment.
If he had been the one to catch the other Sage off guard, would he have hesitated?
Did she hesitate for the reason he suspected?
He could find no answers as he continued to cook.